Combination door latch and check



June 4, 1946. UL. Q. HOENI 2,401,301

COMBINATION DOOR LATCH AND CHECK Filed July 12, 1944 Patented June 4, 946

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINATION DOOR LATCH AND CHECK Louis Q. Hoen, Santa Fe, N. Mex.

Application July 12, 1944, Serial No. 544,545

1 Claim. 1

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in screen door latches and has for it primary object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a device of this character having incorporated therein a check of unique construction for preventing the door from slamming when it closes.

Another very important object of the invention is to provide a combination latch and check of the aforementioned character which will be positively prevented from marring the jamb when the door closes.

Still another very important object of the invention is to provide, in a combination door latch and check comprising a swinging hook, unique means for mounting said hook on the door and for limiting the swing thereof.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a combination screen door latch and check which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, highly efficient and reliable in use, compact and which may be manufactured at low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a combination'screen door latch and check constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the device, showing the door and the jamb in horizontal section.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary view in front elevation, showing a slight modification.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view, taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that reference character I designates an eye screw which is mounted in the free end portion of a screen door 2. Loosely mounted for swinging movement in the eye 3 of the screw l is a hook 4. The bill 5 of the hook 4 is engageable in an eye screw 6 which is mounted on the door jamb l.

Mounted on the shank 8 of the hook 4 is a substantially spherical resilient bumper 9. The bumper 9 has formed therein a substantially conical socket I 0 which, as illustrated to advantage in Fig. 2 of the drawing, accommodates 2 the inner portion of the bill 5 of the hook 4 in addition to lending resiliency to said bumper.

Mounted on the eye screw l is a guard II for limiting the swing of the hook 4. The guard l l is formed from a single sheet of suitable metal having an intermediate portion formed to provide a substantially flat, loop-shaped, apertured base l2 through which the shank of the eye screw 1 passes. A rubber disc I3 is interposed between the base l2 and the door 2. The guard ll further includes opposed end portions 14 having slots I5 therein which accommodate the eye 3 of the screw I. Depending from the uppermost end portion I4 of the guard II are integral side flanges l5a between which the lowermost end portion I4 of said guard is engaged.

It is thought that the operation of the device will be readily apparent from a consideration of the foregoing. Briefly, when the door 2 closes the hook 4 with the bumper 9 thereon is caused to swing outwardly by centrifugal force in a manner to position said bumper between said door and the jamb 1, as suggested in dotted lines in Figure 1 of the drawing. It will thus be seen that the bumper 9 functions as a check for cushioning the door and preventing said door from slamming. Also, the rubber bumper 9 prevents the latch from marring the jamb when the door closes, as frequently occursat present. Still further, the resilient bumper 9 functions as a convenient handle for the hook 4 to facilitate pulling the door tight against the jamb and engaging the hill 5 of said hook in the eye screw 6. The guard ll confines the hook 4 and prevents excessive upward swinging movement thereof beyond the point necessary to permit said hook to be readily engaged in the eye screw 6.

In the modification illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 of the drawing, the hook 4 is loosely mounted in the eye [6 of a screw I! which is mounted in the free end portion of the screen door 2. Mounted on the screw l1 and enclosing the inner portion of the eye l6 thereof is a guard in the form of a resilient rubber body [8. A disc I9 is interposed between the guard 18 and the door 2.

In use, the hook 4 is sufiiciently free in the eye I 6 of the screw ll to permit the bill of said hook to be readily inserted in the eye screw 6 on the door jamb 1. However, the resilient rubber guard I8 is engageable by the hook 4 and limits swinging movement of said hook toward the screen door 2.

It is believed that the many advantages of a combination door latch and check constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood and although preferred embodiments of the device are as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that further modifications and. changes in details of construction may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

A door latch comprising an eye screw mounted on a door, aIhook loosely connected to said eye 

